Cupido

The first of the TransNeptunians is Cupido. The name is quite obviously from Latin, and refers to what we know as Cupid.

As far as pronunciation, I’ve heard it four ways:

[KOO-pee-doh]
[koo-PEE-doh]
[kyu-PEE-doh]
[KYU-pih-doh]

I personally like the third pronunciation because it’s how Maria Kay Simms (author of The Dial Detective) pronounces the planet, and it sounds a little scandalous because of the stress. It’s like when you change the vowel on the word “penalize” so it sounds like [pee-na-lize] rather than the common pronunciation.

Since there’s obviously Cupid in the name, it’s a common assumption this planet has to do with love. This is true, but there’s a whole lot more than just love.

Just by studying the glyph for Cupido, we see it’s a combination of Venus and Jupiter. So by default, those two energies are brought together. Like all the TNPs, Cupido has a “super” quality to it, and so the association here is a Super Venus.

In traditional astrology, Neptune is considered a higher octave of Venus, but as we know, Neptune has a ton of negative associations that don’t necessarily coincide with Venus.

Cupido is an even higher octave of Venus when it comes to love and art (in the most general sense), and relates to affiliations or groups of people.

In music, I hear Cupido as red and all associated shades. Whenever I hear an orchestra, particularly strings and woodwinds, I’ll associate the music with Cupido. A-Flat Major is the key signature that most resonates with me. Generally speaking, anything in a major flat key will elicit those reds.

This piece is just amazing. I’ve cried many times because of a sudden rush of colored light that overwhelms my senses.